8 Dallas-Fort Worth companies land on Fortune’s list of most admired in the world

Flying high

National business publication Fortune magazine is saluting several Dallas-Fort Worth employers, starting with one of the most well-known.

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines ranks 28th on Fortune’s2022 list of the world’s most admired companies; it's the highest-ranked local company on the list. Also included on the list are:

Westlake-based Charles Schwab, at No. 47.
Dallas-based AECOM, at No. 55.
Dallas-based AT&T, at No. 77.
Dallas-based CBRE Group, at No. 103.
Arlington-based D.R. Horton, at No. 168.
Dallas-based Jacobs Engineering Group, at No. 179.
Irving-based McKesson, at No. 214.

The ranking is based on the magazine’s poll of about 3,700 corporate executives, corporate directors, and business analysts.

Southwest has landed consistently on the World's Most Admired Companies list since 2009, a press release from the company points out.

"What a wonderful tribute to the People of Southwest Airlines to be recognized with this prestigious honor, and especially in the midst of the challenges brought on by a global pandemic," says Southwest CEO Bob Jordan in the release. "These past 23 months have been the most challenging time in our Company's history, but our people are the difference — they put their heart into our business, our communities, and serving our customers and it shows."

San Antonio financial services provider USAA ranks 25th, making it the No. 1 Texas-based company on the list. Overall, 18 companies from the Lone Star State appear on Fortune’s new list.

The others are:

Houston-based ConocoPhillips, No. 117.
Round Rock-based Dell Technologies, No. 125.
Houston-based EOG Resources, No. 140.
Spring-based Hewlett Packard Enterprise, No. 164.
Houston-based KBR, No. 186.
Houston-based Occidental Petroleum, No. 237.
Houston-based Quanta Services, No. 253.
Austin-based Tesla, No. 294.
Houston-based Waste Management, No. 318.

Fortune's top three companies are Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft.

"Just as it dominates our economy, Big Tech now dominates Fortune’s annual ranking of corporate reputation," the magazine says.

Sky Noir Photography by Bill Dickinson/Getty Images

Fort Worth job market earns No. 5 ranking in the U.S., bouncing back to pre-pandemic level

No labor pains

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to hammer job markets around the country. But not Fort Worth and Dallas. In November, the Fort Worth-Arlington area, Dallas area, and eight other major metros in the U.S. surpassed the number of jobs they had before the pandemic, a new report says.

Austin was No. 2 in the U.S. and top-ranked in Texas. San Antonio was also in the top 10.

From February 2020 to November 2021, Fort Worth-Arlington posted a job growth rate of 2.2 percent, landing the area at No. 5 on the jobs list of the best-performing markets among the top 50 metros, according to the report.

In the same time period, Dallas-Plano-Irving recorded a job growth rate of 4.1 percent, landing the area at No. 4.

The report comes from the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. Booming Austin posted a job growth rate of 4.11 percent, landing the Capital City at No. 2 among the top 50 metros, slightly below the 4.14 percent rate for the No. 1 rated Salt Lake City area, according to the chamber’s report.

Employers like Amazon, Dell, H-E-B, and Tesla have contributed to the Central Texas area's robust job growth.

But, back to Dallas-Fort Worth. In November 2021, the Dallas area had 2,813,200 jobs, compared with 2,735,400 in February 2020, right before COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic.

In November 2021, the Fort Worth-Arlington area had 1,127,800 jobs, compared with 1,103,400 in pre-pandemic February 2020.

"Statewide, over the last 12 months, all private industries added jobs," the report says.

The numbers are not as encouraging in Houston, which experienced a negative 2 percent change, but still landing it in 27th place among the 50 biggest metro areas.

Despite Houston’s job market not having rebounded to its pre-pandemic level, Austin-based job website Indeed recently ranked Houston one of the best U.S. cities for recent graduates seeking employment. Indeed cited opportunities in Houston sectors such as aerospace, aviation, and digital technology.

Photo courtesy of Mardi Gras! Galveston

Texas' biggest Mardi Gras celebration makes big beaded return for 2022

Texas getaways

A winter COVID surge is not preventing the good times from rolling right on into Galveston. One of the biggest beaded bashes on the Texas coast is back: Galveston Island’s 111th Mardi Gras celebration will return to the Historic Galveston Strand District from February 18 through March 1, 2022.

Known throughout Texas as Mardi Gras! Galveston, the third largest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States is expected to draw more than 350,000 attendees for two weekends of live concerts, parades, balcony parties, elegant balls, and new festive additions.

The annual event was canceled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of press time, it's still on for 2022.

Musical headliners for the festival’s concert lineup include platinum-selling rock band 3 Doors Down; country artist Matt Stell; and noted Tejano group Siggno, which will star at Mardi Gras! Galveston’s annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage (Sunday, February 20, 2022).

Tickets (starting at $11.50) are now on sale online for general weekend admission and balcony access.

A portion of the festival’s proceeds will benefit charitable causes such as The Sunshine Kids, Shriners Hospital for Children, Galveston Education Foundation, Texas A&M Maritime Academy, and local firefighters.

In consideration for the environment, this year, festival organizer Yaga’s Entertainment has launched “Beads for Needs.” The bead recycling program aims to remove Mardi Gras beads out of the trash while giving students from Ball High School’s Life Skills Program the opportunity to build a business from the ground up and become self-sufficient.

Meanwhile, submissions are open for the SC Inman Mardi Gras! Galveston 2022 Official Poster Contest. The poster contest is an annual artistic competition open to any US citizen 16 years or older. Contestants are asked to submit an official Mardi Gras! Galveston poster design.

The winning poster will be reproduced as a commemorative poster to be released as part of Mardi Gras! Galveston 2022; the winning artist will receive a $1,000 award. Submissions will be accepted until January 13.

For more information, visit the official Mardi Gras! Galveston site.

It's time to bead it, y'all.

Photo courtesy of Mardi Gras! Galveston

It's time to bead it, y'all.

Getty Images/Courtney K

Fort Worth unlocks a top spot for U.S. homebuyers under 35, study says

Foundation for the future

More and more young professionals in Fort Worth are giving up apartment life and settling down in a home of their own, a new survey shows.

A study released January 14 by personal finance website SmartAsset ranked the top 50 U.S. cities where homebuyers under age 35 are most commonplace. Just three DFW cities made it into the top 50. Fort Worth was one of them, landing at No. 36.

To develop the list, SmartAsset looked at the 2019 homeownership rate for those under 35 in 200 of the country’s largest cities and the 10-year change in the homeownership rate for those under 35.

The Dallas suburb of Mesquite ranked fourth in the study, and Mesquite's neighbor Garland came in 17th. To break things down in the top DFW cities:

In 2019, the homeownership rate among Mesquite residents younger than 35 was 45.46 percent. That ranks 11th in the study. But in 2009, the rate was just 35.47 percent, meaning the 10-year increase was 9.99 percentage points, earning a third-place ranking for this metric and fourth overall.
The under-35 rate for homeownership rate in Garland stood at 37.11 percent in 2019, up 0.59 percentage points from 36.52 percent in 2009.
Fort Worth's under-35 homeownership rate actually fell 3.28 percentage points, going from 40.52 percent in 2009 to 37.24 percent. Nonetheless, it still earned a spot in the top 50.

Perhaps surprisingly, Texas' own Midland earned the No. 1 spot (followed by Cape Coral, Florida and Joliet, Illinois.)

"Midland, Texas has seen a 10-year increase of 17.11 percentage points in the homeownership rate among people younger than 35, the largest growth seen in this study," the authors say.

Other Texas cities in SmartAsset’s top 50 are Corpus Christi (tied at No. 27), Brownsville (No. 44), and Amarillo (No. 50).

Although the study doesn't point out the many desirable qualities that make Fort Worth appealing to young homebuyers, the authors would surely echo the most recent Niche.com assessment that, "living in Fort Worth offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Fort Worth there are a lot of parks. Many families and young professionals live in Fort Worth and residents tend to lean liberal."

(Okay, those last few words might be debatable depending on your definition of "liberal" — and your neighborhood.)

A 2020 study from the National Association of Realtors found that 52 percent of buyers 30 to 39 and 88 percent of buyers 29 and younger were first-time homebuyers. Among all homebuyers, the study showed fewer than 1 percent were 21 and younger, 13 percent were 22 to 29, and 25 percent were 30 to 39. People 30 to 39 made up the biggest age group among buyers.

“As people age into retirement, they rely more heavily on their wealth rather than their income to support their lifestyles. Today’s young adults are failing to build housing wealth, the largest single source of wealth, at the same rate as previous generations,” the Urban Institute noted in a 2018 study. “While people make the choice to own or rent that suits them at a given point, maybe more young adults should take into account the long-term consequences of renting when homeownership is an option.”

Photo courtesy of WeWork

Texas punches in as one of the hardest-working states in U.S., says study

Laboring every day

Hey, Texas. Kick up your feet and give yourselves a pat on the back. You deserve it. The Lone Star State has been named one of the hardest-working states in the country.

In a study released August 31 just ahead of Labor Day, personal finance website WalletHub ranks Texas fourth on its list of the hardest-working states, behind North Dakota at No. 1, Alaska at No. 2, and Wyoming at No. 3. In last place: West Virginia.

Texas held the No. 4 spot in WalletHub’s 2019 rankings, too.

For the study, WalletHub compares the 50 states across 10 key indicators. Those factors include average hours worked per week, share of workers with more than one job, and volunteer hours logged per person. Texas clocks in at No. 4 this year for the highest average number of hours put in during the workweek — its best ranking among the 10 key indicators.

The study of hardest-working states comes as a new WalletHub survey shows about one-third of Americans are worried about job security.

“Women are less likely than men to be concerned about job security, even though recent data shows that women are losing their jobs at a greater rate than men during the COVID-19 pandemic,” WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez says.

The survey also finds that about half of Americans say they’ve worked harder since the coronavirus pandemic began.

“Middle-class Americans were the most likely to say they have worked harder, followed by high-income and then low-income Americans,” Gonzalez says.

Photo by Maskot/Getty

How much salary Texans would willingly forfeit to continue working from home

Work Perks

For some, working from home is starting to look like the new normal. But whether your office is gearing up for reopening or you're looking at taking calls from your couch for the foreseeable future, one thing is for sure: Texans love that WFH life.

Finance website RealBusinessSavings.com recently surveyed 3,500 American employees to evaluate their attitudes about offices in the current circumstances, and the results showed an overwhelming preference for our makeshift home desks.

The average American employee would take a $316 pay cut per month in order to continue working from home after lockdown, with Texans specifically willing to give up $278 each month to avoid going back to their place of work.

Nationally, 57 percent of employees say they will request to continue working from home to avoid contracting coronavirus in the workplace. One in 10 are happy to be far away from office politics, and two in three say they have been more productive working from home.

When it comes to reasons people prefer to continue working from home, 30 percent of employees say saving money on transportation is the best thing, followed by no daily commute (28 percent). An additional 22 percent say the best part is saving money on lunch and afterwork drinks, while 8 percent said their favorite part is not having to wear business attire (hooray for yoga pants!).

Broken down across the country, it appears Californians are most keen on keeping their WFH routines after lockdown, as the average employee there would forfeit $495 of their salary in order to continue to do so. Comparatively, Hawaii employees are ready to go back to the office, with the average respondent there forfeiting only $71 of their salary each month in order to continue working from home.

And if we ever do return en masse to the boardroom, it seems the days of high-fives and handshakes with your coworkers are over. Results say that 75 percent of employees do not think handshakes will ever return to the work environment, and in their place should be the elbow tap (65 percent), a simple nod (28 percent), the balance-testing foot tap (5 percent), and the formal bow (a mere 2 percent).

Perhaps most telling is this result: One in three workers say that since WFH began, they have felt their bosses have been friendlier and with a more relaxed attitude toward employees. Long live the Zoom meetings!

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'Yellowstone' stars to greet fans at Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Yellowstone news

Yellowstone fans, get your comfy shoes ready - there'll be a long line for this one. Cole Hauser a.k.a. "Rip Wheeler" on Yellowstone, and Taylor Sheridan, the show's co-creator, executive producer, and director of the series, will meet fans and sign autographs at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

The event will take place from 4:30-6:30 pm only on Friday, February 3. Location is the 6666 Ranch booth near the south end of Aisle 700 in the Amon G. Carter, Jr. Exhibits Hall.

According to a February 2 announcement from FWSSR, "fans will have the opportunity to snag an autograph as well as purchase some distinctive Yellowstone and 6666 Ranch merchandise while also enjoying all the features the Stock Show offers."

The event is free to attend (with paid Stock Show admission) and open to the public.

It's the second year in a row for Hauser to appear at FWSSR; in 2022, he and fellow cast mates drew huge crowds.

Sheridan, a Paschal High School graduate, is no stranger to Fort Worth; he lives in a ranch near Weatherford and filmed 1883, the prequel to Yellowstone, in and around Fort Worth. Currently, another spinoff, 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, is filming in North Texas.

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is winding up its 2023 run on Saturday, February 4.

The Tastemaker Awards toast the best in Texas dining for 2023

A taste of Texas

It’s another one for CultureMap’s history books. The 2023 Tastemaker Awards, which recognized Texas' best chefs, restaurants, and more culinary superstars of the year, have finally come to a close.

The series kicked off April 13 with our sold-out Houston Tastemaker Award at Silver Street Studios, then we came home to Fort Worth, to the 4 Eleven, for our second annual event, April 27. The Texas culinary tour steered us over to Dallas' Fashion Industry Gallery on May 4. From there, we took a drive to the Hill Country for Austin’s evening festivities at Fair Market on May 11, then concluded our journey with our second-ever fête in San Antonio on May 18.

The 2023 Tastemaker Awards honor the state’s most innovative culinary pioneers, allowing nominated chefs and restaurants to showcase their talents for guests before announcing the winners during a live ceremony.

Guests sampled chefs’ specialty bites and imbibed a variety of creative cocktails or mocktails, with a few Topo Chicos sprinkled in throughout the evening. But as always, our nominees and winners are the main focus of our program and are the reason we can bring these celebrations to life.

While a panel of local food and beverage pros choses a majority of the winners, the winner of Best New Restaurant is determined by our readers in an online, bracket-style tournament. New this year in each city, a sizzling on-site Burger Throwdown sponsored by Goodstock Beef by Nolan Ryan.

Without further ado, let’s meet our 2023 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards winners, listed by city:

Fort Worth:

Restaurant of the Year: Fitzgerald
Chef of the Year: Juan Ramón Cárdenas, Don Artemio
Bar of the Year: Birdie’s Social Club
Best New Restaurant: Calisience
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Angel Fuentes, Guapo Taco
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Cafe Bella
Best Burger: Dayne’s Craft Barbecue
Best Brewery: Martin House Brewing Company

Dallas:

Restaurant of the Year: Shoyo
Chef of the Year: Junior Borges, Meridian
Bar of the Year: Lounge Here
Best New Restaurant: Quarter Acre
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Mike Matis, Fearing’s
Pastry Chef of the Year: Maricsa Trejo, La Casita Bakeshop
Bartender of the Year: Haley Merritt, Midnight Rambler
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: El Rincon del Maiz
Wine Program of the Year: Pappas Bros.
Best Burger: Wulf Burger
Brewery of the Year: Manhattan Project Beer Co.

Houston:

CultureMap Fort Worth Tastemaker Awards 2023

Photo by Ashley Gongora

The ants garnishing Guapo Taco's chips were the talk of the Fort Worth event.

Restaurant of the Year: Bludorn
Chef of the Year: Mark Clayton, Squable
Bar of the Year: Captain Foxheart’s Bad News Bar and Spirit Lounge
Best New Restaurant: Aiko
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Emmanuel Chavez, Tatemó
Pastry Chef of the Year: Shawn Gawle, Goodnight Hospitality
Bartender of the Year: Kristine Nguyen, Captain Foxheart’s Bad News Bar
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Craft Pita
Wine Program of the Year: Nancy’s Hustle
Best Pop-Up: Khói Barbecue
Best Burger: Burger Bodega

Austin:

Restaurant of the Year: Birdie’s
Chef of the Year: Amanda Turner, Olamaie
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Joaquin Ceballos, Este
Pastry Chef of the Year: Mariela Camacho, Comadre Panadería
Bar of the Year: Nickel City
Bartender of the Year: Erin Ashford, Olamaie
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Nixta Taqueria
Wine Program of the Year: Bufalina
Brewery of the Year: Lazarus Brewing Co.
Best Burger: Dai Due
Best New Restaurant: Maie Day

San Antonio:

Restaurant of the Year: Carriqui
Chef of the Year: Robbie Nowlin, Allora, Arrosta
Bar of the Year: Amor Eterno
Brewery of the Year: Künstler Brewing
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: The Magpie
Pastry Chef of the Year: Sofia Tejeda, Hotel Emma
Best Burger: Last Place Burger
Best New Restaurant: Reese Bros BBQ

These are the 5 best food and drink events in Fort Worth this week

This week in gluttony

Doughnuts, burgers, and whiskey – oh my! A sweet collaboration happens this Friday night. Also plan for a summer afternoon tea, a complimentary wine tasting, museum happy hour, and a hysterical wine tasting event themed after a hit comedy.

Thursday, June 1

Crimson Wine Tasting at Neighbor’s House Grocery
The boutique downtown grocer and eatery hosts complimentary wine tasting for sipping and shopping. Guests will get to try four different wines from Napa’s Crimson Wine Group. Drop by anytime from 4:30-6:30 pm.

Friday, June 2

Kimbell Happy Hour
Friday means it’s time for the Kimbell Art Museum’s weekend happy hour. Visit from 5-7 pm for beverages and bites, along with live music by the Allegro Guitar Society. Members will receive 10 percent off drinks.

Doughnut-Burger Collaboration at Whiskey Ranch
Whiskey Ranch does National Doughnut Day with a sweet and savory collab featuring three Fort Worth favorites: TX Whiskey, FunkyTown Donuts, and JD’s Hamburgers. The $35 ticket includes three different TX cocktails paired with gourmet mini doughnuts, including a bacon burger doughnut slider by JD’s. Cocktails include Blackberry Sour, Pecan Old Fashioned, and Parker County Peach TX Whiskey Tea. There’ll also be DJ music and a build-your-own-doughnut hole sundae bar. The event will run from 6-9 pm.

Saturday, June 3

Catalina Canned Wine Mixer at Truck Yard Alliance
Truck Yard in Alliance is throwing a “bro-down” party themed after the 2008 hit movie Step Brothers. Wear your best tuxedo t-shirt for a wine tasting, photo ops, food trucks, and a Step Brothers cover band. Admission is free, but a $15 wine tasting is offered from 7-9 pm, featuring six wine samples and a souvenir glass filled with frose. Costume contests will be held at 5 pm and 10 pm.

Sunday, June 4

Summer Afternoon Tea at Indulge
The downtown cooking studio and tea room will host a Sunday afternoon summer tea party. Enjoy three courses including chicken tarragon sandwiches, roasted vegetable phyllo cups, and street corn crostinis, along with scones with clotted cream and jam, cream puffs, madeleines, and shortbread cookies. Tea choices include black or herbal blend. The tea service is $65 and begins at 2 pm.

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